The Bengals have one of the stronger passing attacks in the league, but most of that production comes from the wide receiver positions.  The club hopes the signing of former Colts’ tight end Ben Utecht adds balance to their attack.

Utecht was primarily a backup behind Dallas Clark with the Colts, but saw a lot of snaps the past couple seasons as the number two guy and was productive as a starter when Clark was out of the lineup. 

The Bengals hope Utecht can provide them more production in the passing game from the tight end position.  Reggie Kelly has been a decent pass catcher, but his value remains in the run game at the line of scrimmage. 

Utecht has worked himself into an adequate positional type blocker off the line of scrimmage, but most of his assignments will be in the passing game.  He’s a pretty good athlete.  He’s not great off the line and can be neutralized if linebackers focus on jamming him off the line, but he knows how to get open if you scheme him properly in the slot.  He has enough size and speed to create favorable matchups within the intermediate passing game. 

The only question with Utecht is how much more can the Bengals ask of him than he gave Indianapolis in terms of snaps.  Durability has always been one question that surrounds Utecht with many scouts and personnel types around the league. 

In some other recent moves around the league, one of the sleeper signings this spring could be Cleveland’s addition of linebacker Shantee Orr.  Orr is a natural 3-4 linebacker who has good burst off the edge and long arms as a pass rusher.  He’s been stuck playing within the Texans’ 4-3 scheme the past couple seasons.  Orr should fit well in Cleveland with his workman-like mentality and find a role as a pass rusher. 

The Patriots continue to restock on veteran cornerbacks after getting cleaned out here early in the free agent period with the signing of Fernando Bryant last week.  Bryant has been nicked up a lot throughout his career and doesn’t make many plays, but he’s an experienced cover guy who played adequately to solid in Rod Marinelli’s zone scheme in Detroit. 

Carolina added a stop-gap to stabilize their secondary for next season with the recent addition of Terrence Holt to pair with Chris Harris at the safety positions.  Holt has a lot of limitations in man coverage and is very erratic in run support, but provides some veteran leadership and does a passable job in zone coverage.  He shows enough intelligence on the field to help lineup the rest of the secondary.  That is something the Panthers needed in their secondary at this stage. 

I liked the move by Minnesota to add former Kansas City defensive back Benny Sapp.  Sapp is strictly a role player, but plays hard and does everything that is asked of him.  He’s aggressive on special teams.  He has too many limitations in the secondary to play outside the slot, but handles limited assignments well out of the slot – especially as a blitzer. 

Phil Savage is serious about positioning his football team to contend for the AFC title sooner than later. 

The Browns suddenly have a solid rotation along the defensive line with the additions of Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers.  I’ve always liked Williams.  He’s not the quickest nor strongest lineman, but he plays hard and displays intensity on the field.  His effort will bring energy upfront.  Rogers needed a change of scenery from Detroit.  When Rogers plays hard and he’s in shape – he can as dominate as any defender in the league.  He can collapse the pocket and disrupt opponents in the backfield.  The Browns need Rogers to become energized in Cleveland. 

Holdovers Shaun Smith and Robarie Smith round out the rotation.  Shaun Smith displayed a good effort on the field at nose tackle and end during his first season with the Browns.  He should be effective at the point of attack. 

I like the addition of Donte’ Stallworth on the other side of the ball.  Stallworth stayed healthy last season, but has a track record of hamstring problems.  At his best, he provides an excellent complement to Braylon Edwards in the passing game.  This move allows Joe Jurevicius to escape some wear and tear and remain a clutch performer on third down. 

Moving forward, the Browns still must upgrade their pass rush behind Kamerion Winbley and add a veteran cover corner to solidify the secondary. 

Bills: The Bills have been quite active in addressing their problems against the run.  Opponents have capitalized on Buffalo’s lack of size upfront the past couple seasons.  Marcus Stroud provides the size and ability the clog gaps in the trenches against the run.  But the Bills must hope Stroud can overcome severe ankle problems that have slowed him down the past two seasons.  If Stroud bounces back and John McCargo emerges as a playmaker inside, the Bills should have a solid rotation including a few capable backups.  Kawika Mitchell adds much needed size to a smallish linebacker corps.  Mitchell isn’t a playmaker, but possesses good size and toughness against the run.  He made a lot of key stops down the stretch for the Giants last season and takes a good approach to the game.   

Saints: Have the Saints finally found some answers at linebacker?  On paper, I would say yes.  Jonathan Vilma is a very active and instinctive guy who plays hard and has a nose for the ball.  Morgan is a solid run defender who can solidify the middle.  He brings a blue-collar approach to the field.  The question is whether they can stay healthy.  Vilma has a history of knee problems, which finally sidelined him for a significant stretch last season.  Morgan has the history of concussions and various other injury problems because he plays so hard.  He can bring some attitude if he can stay on the field. 

Buccaneers:  Antonio Bryant attempting a comeback after off-field issues kept him off the field last season.  If Bryant has turned the corner and matured, he could become a difference-maker to complement Joey Galloway and Ike Hilliard for Tampa Bay next season.  Bryant lacks ideal speed and has lapses in concentration on the field, but has good size and isn’t afraid to go over the middle of the field.  A consistent Bryant would add balance within Jon Gruden’s passing game. 

The trade of Charlie Frye was a good move for both the player and the Cleveland Browns.  Frye had a terrible performance for Cleveland on Sunday against the Steelers.  And that was the signal that it was time to move on for both sides. 

Frye never had much of a chance in Cleveland.  He’s played behind a bad offensive line and didn’t have much support around him last season.  Quarterbacks tend to develop bad habits when under those circumstances.  It was no different with Frye.  Frye is a tough guy who can move around the pocket, but tried to make too many things happen by himself.  As a result, he lost his field vision and tried forcing too many plays. 

Frye still has an opportunity to become a solid quarterback in this league.  That will be a few years down the road.  He’ll have an opportunity to now take a step back and put his game back together under a stable offensive system in Seattle.  And he’ll also have an opportunity to work with one of the best teachers around the league in Mike Holmgren.  Frye will have the also watch a veteran quarterback like Matt Hasselbeck function in this offensive system. 

As for Cleveland, Derek Anderson steps into the starting lineup for the short-term.  Anderson is more of a pocket passer with a better arm than Frye, but lacks awareness and makes poor decisions with the ball. 

Everyone is now asking why isn’t Brady Quinn in the lineup yet?  I believe it will be sooner than later at this point.  Quinn will get more reps during the week without Frye in the fold.  But the Browns also need to see the rest of their offense find a rhythm – especially along the offensive line.  I believe the offensive line will begin to come together in the next few weeks.  With the exception of Hank Fraley at center, the rest of the line features new starters from last season including a rookie left tackle.  And Kevin Shaffer is adjusting from moving to the right side of the line. 

At the same, the Browns have to look at the big picture and make sure they are making the proper decision on Brady Quinn’s development for the long-term.  Quinn will take his lumps, but you also want to put him in a position to have some measure of success on the field. 

Pete Kendall and the Washington Redskins needed each other.  Kendall was part of a prolonged exile with the Jets throughout the past several months after sparring with team officials over his contract.  Meanwhile, the Redskins had a hole along their offensive line after allowing Derrick Dockery to sign with Buffalo early in the spring.

The Redskins tried to fill Dockery’s spot at left guard with veteran tackle Todd Wade.   Wade has excellent size and power, but struggled to make the transition from being a career right tackle to moving to the left side to play inside.  Wade never found a comfort zone at that spot with his techniques and feel for the position. 

Enter Pete Kendall.  Kendall is 34 years old, but remains a solid veteran presence and has graded well at left guard over the past couple seasons with the Jets.  Kendall lacks the lower body strength to consistently move guys off the line, but he’s a tough, nasty blocker who plays with tremendous technique. 

Kendall’s addition bolsters the club’s veteran stability upfront and a strong ground game will work together to support a young quarterback in Jason Campbell. 

Chiefs make right decision at quarterback: I believe the Chiefs made the right decision by naming Damon Huard the starting quarterback heading into the season.  Brodie Croyle has intriguing physical tools and the Chiefs were hoping he could win the job coming out of training camp, but he made too many mistakes with the football.  Huard has limitations, but he’s a steady veteran who protects the football.  He gives the Chiefs the best opportunity to win at the beginning of the season.  Huard is also respected by many veterans on the team. 

At some point, the Chiefs need to answer the question on Croyle.  There’s no debate he has the physical tools and makeup to become a starting quarterback.  The Chiefs have to find the right time to hand the reins to Croyle with the understanding that there will be growing pains.  The Chiefs must learn if Croyle can handle the physical demands of being a starting quarterback in the National Football League after questions about his durability surfaced during his college career.  And ultimately, they have to determine whether he can lift the team to a higher level and display the mental toughness to eventually become a long-term fixture at quarterback for their franchise. 

Bengals add depth: Cincinnati made a solid move by adding veteran linebacker Lemar Marshall.  Marshall has experience at both the weak side and in the middle.  He’s not very big, but he’s smart and plays to his assignments.  Marshall is also solid in pass coverage.  He replaces what they lost when they cut Brian Simmons last spring.  Marshall is coming off a subpar 2006 season as a starter in the middle with the Redskins, but was slowed by some knee and ankle problems.  Marshall bolsters the Bengals’ depth at linebacker.  Ed Hartwell began camp in competition on the weakside, but is taking a lot of reps at middle linebacker now to act as insurance if Ahmad Brooks can’t handle the mental responsibilities that comes with the position.  But Hartwell lacks the speed that Marvin Lewis wants in the middle and has a history of knee problems the past couple years. 

Gaither pushing for starting spot with Ravens: Rookie Jared Gaither has opened a lot of eyes during training camp.  Gaither was highly coveted by the Ravens coming out of the Supplemental Draft for his incredible size and upside, but there were questions about his mental toughness and work ethic.  But he’s been a surprise thus far.  He’s worked hard and hasn’t backed down in practice.  He’s been moving well and matching up well in pass protection.  The Ravens planned on allowing Gaither to settle into the left tackle position behind Jonathan Odgen this season, but he could open the season as the starting right tackle ahead of Adam Terry. 

Quarterback derby heats up in Cleveland: While Brady Quinn has opened a lot of eyes during the exhibition season, the question remains on what will happen with Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson.  Frye will likely get the opening game nod despite Quinn’s intriguing performances.  The Browns will likely also keep Ken Dorsey.  Dorsey is extremely smart and has a tremendous understanding of Rob Chudzinski’s scheme.  He’s been an invaluable resource for Quinn thus far.  But will the Browns keep four quarterbacks to open the season?  A few teams are keeping an eye on this situation as there is interest in Derek Anderson.  Anderson needs to learn to make better decisions with the football and isn’t very mobile, but has good size and scouts like the way he throws the ball. 

I always have had respect for Colts’ offensive line coach Howard Mudd.  They’ve never the most talented collection of lineman, but Mudd knows how to mold them into an effective unit as a whole.  Stability has been a strong point for the offensive line over the last several years, but the probable retirement of Tarik Glenn definitely brings about a lot of uncertainty for the Colts. 

Glenn was clearly the most talented of the Colts’ lineman on the offensive side of the ball.  Tom Moore utilizes a fast paced offense and they have a quarterback in Peyton Manning who gets rid of the ball quickly.  That means the lineman don’t have to hold blocks long.  But we are talking about protecting Manning’s blindside against an opponent’s top speed rusher.  That leaves a few question marks heading into training camp. 

Rookie Tony Ugoh is now in the spotlight if Glenn follows through on his retirement talk.  Ugoh was drafted with the idea of being groomed as a potential successor to Glenn in 2008.  He’s very athletic, but needs a lot of work on technique and recognition.  Many scouts questioned whether Ugoh was a football player or just an athlete this past spring during the final draft evaluation period. 

Charlie Johnson might be better prepared as a second-year player.  Johnson did an adequate job spelling Ryan Diem at right tackle as a rookie.  Johnson has good tools and picked up the mental side of the game well for a rookie, but still needs a lot of polish. 

Bentley ready to play: If LeCharles Bentley is really ready to play again, the offensive line will be a unit to watch this season for the Cleveland Browns.  Bentley might never be as effective in space as before the serious knee injury last summer, but he could be a solid run blocker in the middle of what could become a strong unit upfront for the Browns following the additions of Joe Thomas and Eric Steinbach.  With Jamal Lewis at running back, the Browns have a foundation on the ground to build around this season. 

Coughlin’s Leadership Council: Let’s hope it’s not a little too late, but forming a Leadership Council is a positive step for Tom Coughlin in New York to foster better communication between Coughlin and the players.  To make it work, players must stop creating soap operas through the media.  That’s been the biggest problem for the Giants, dating back to Jim Fassel’s years as head coach.  The Giants have a talented group of athletes, but self-inflicted distractions have been a problem for several years that take away the focus on the field.  When you have your best players like Tiki Barber (retired), Michael Strahan, and Jeremy Shockey constantly creating negative distractions, it leaves a major void of leadership in the Giants’ locker room.